Mining-machine



No; 751,478. A lMTEN'JSED PEB 9,1904.

H. B. DIBRDORFP.

MINING MACHINE. APPLIOATION FILED mso. 10,1396. Mmmm) 1120.428. 189e.

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UNITED STATES Patented February 9, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY B. 'DIERDORFFQ OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO JOSEPH A. VJEFFREY, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

MINING-MACHINE. f

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 751,478, datedl February 9, 1904.

Application filed December 10, 1896. ReneWedDecember 28, 1898. SerialNo. 700,560. (N model.)

v To all whom. it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY B. DIERDORFF, a citizen of the United States, residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mining-Machines; andI do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,` and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of a miningmachine sufficient to illustrate the manner of applying my improvement. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of'the same. Fig. 3 is a plan view, on a larger scaleof the central longitudinal bar of the carriage-frame, showing also some of the connected parts. Fig. 4 is a View, partly in side elevation, partly in section, of thedevices in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a plan view, on a stilllarger scale, of the holding device. Fig. 6 is a section on line w w of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a'section on the line y y of Fig. 5. Fig. 8 is a section on the line z .e of Fig. 5, showing the holder in place. Fig. 9 is a section on the line m of' Fig. 4.

In the drawings I have shown a bed-frame,

-a carriage, a motor, and ysome of the gearingV used in machines of the sort heretofore invented by me, each of which has uponL the carriage a horizontal moving cutter-chain adapted to form a kerf or undercut in the coal of suitable width and of a height such that it freely admits the entrance of the forward-pro- ]ecting parts ofv theV chain frame or carriage. The chain carries cutters which travel around the chain-frame, -the points of the cuttersA traveling on a line indicated by the dotted line t, Fig. 1, and in the direction indicated by the arrows in said figure.v

rIhe bed-frame is indicated as a whole byA, the carriage by B, and the motor by O, the

D. In machines of my preferred form use is made of a single central longitudinal thrustbar which projects forward from the enginesupporting or motor-supporting part of the the coal tends to be jerked or strained more or less in the direction opposite to the travel kof the cutter-chain. In some'coals this is not a serious matter if the framework of the machine be properly made. In other materials holders have been found advantageous which cut a groove in the horizontal wall of the main kerf and have some projecting parts to ride in said groove, and I have heretofore devised holders of this class for such purposes. In still other materials it is found that the cutting of such a groove necessitates the'consumption of considerable power and is itself the cause of undesirable straining ofthe machine. For such circumstances I have devised means acting by friction upon the top and bottom horizontal walls of the kerf; but there are still other coals where it is found disadvantageous either to expend power in the cutting of a groove or to force the cutter-head between the walls of the kerf when bound by'friction-shoes. At the same time it is desirable to havea positive grip upon the stationary coal. The pres` ent holding device has .been devised to meet circumstances ofthis latter sort, and it consists in a holder adapted to be engaged with one or both of the horizontal walls of the coal` and-to be driven by penetration more'or less into the said walls and to be held stationary in the coal, the cutter-frame being permitted to continue advancing after the engagement of the holder. It is also desirable many times to have a holding device which can be thrown into or out of action either automatically or at the will of the operator at any time vduring the cut, and in the present construction I have provided means for accomplishing this.

There are'other mattersofnoveltyand advantage incident to the present mechanism,

The longitudinal carriage-bar D is at a point suitably near the front of the machine provided with a holding-bar E, adapted to be moved into or out of engagement with the adjacent coal and after being put into such engagement to remain stationary and permits said bar D to advance in relation to the holder.

As shown in the drawings, which illustrate one of the numerous ways of carrying out this invention, the holder E is connected to a shaft or bar F in a suitable manner, which shaft is mounted on the carriage and is provided with a proper device, such as a lever F', for rocking it in either direction. As shown, this shaft is angular in section and is loosely fitted to a collar or tube G, which latter can slide along the shaft, but will be rocked as the shaft is moved. The collar carries one or more crank-like arms H, which are pivotally connected to the holder bar or pin E. When the shaft F is rocked by the lever F', the arms H force the holder E up or down, as above described. In order to provide the holder with a strong abutment, it is mounted in a carrier I, which is also adapted to slide on the bar D, this carrier being held in place in any suitable manner-as, for instance, by guide-cleats z' z'. At z" there is a shoulder or thickened mass of metal immediately adjacent to the holder E and adapted to receive thel thrust from the latter.

On the under side of the cross-head there is a shoe or a support J. This may be of any desired length. At present I prefer to eX- tend it back somewhat over a distance approximately equal to that over which the holder can slide on the upper side of the bar D. This acts to prevent any disadvantageous down thrust from the holder either during or after its being forced into the coal.

The manner of operating the devices above described will be readily understood. When the machine is in operation, the bed-frame is securely fastened in position in front of the coal, the power is applied through the motor or engine, and by the latter the chain is caused to move around the frame D D', and at the same time the entire carriage is caused to advance, the result being that the cutters in the chain form a kerf, such as indicated in Figs. 2 and 4. The cutters project above and below sufliciently to form a clear space extend# ing both above and below the cross-head and bar D. As the cutters and their frame advance into the kerf under the coal jerkings or strains are experienced by the frame, at least in some coals. These, however, are seldom of importance until the carriage-frame has advanced four or live feet into the kerf, they being mainly noticeable during the last foot or two of a seven-foot undercut. With a mechanism such as that herein as soon as the operator perceives that such jerkings or strainings of the carriage-frame are being caused by the cutters he can move the lever F in such way as to rock its shaft F sufficiently to cause the pin E to be forced up into the coal. When this holder has been thrust into this position, it no longer advances with the carriage, but remains stationary within the coal and serves the function of a jack situated at a point close to the cutter-chain, and being mounted in the plate I and connected to the collar or sleeve G it holds the last said parts stationary with it. The carriage, with the bar D, continues to advance until the remaining one or two feet of the cut have been made. Then the feed mechanism is reversed and the carriage withdrawn. The operator can at the time of reversing the feed immediately throw the lever F in such way as to disengage the holder E or can wait until the carriage has been retracted a short distance if he desires to steady it while it moves through that portion of its path. After the cutters have been drawn entirely out from the coal the holder E and its carrier I can be moved back to their initial positions at the front of the carriage. This can be done by hand or automatically. For the latter purpose a spring, such as at K, can be employed, bearing at one end against the holder or its carrier and at the other end against a stop or abutment. This spring not only tends to return the holder and its carrier to their initial positions after the carriage has been withdrawn from the coal, but acts to hold them in such position when the carriage is advancing into the kerf, when the holder is inactive. Hence it is possible with this construction to secure several holds upon the coal during any one cut, for if the operator should find that the pin or bar at E has lost its hold because of the iaking down of the coal he can draw it downward and permit the spring K to advance it to a new position, when he can again by the lever F force it into the coal.

A device of this character not only puts the holding of the carriage under the control of the operator, but enables him to secure a more positive hold than by any device within my knowledge. The holders of the earlier sort, which advance with the cutters and at a fixed distance therefrom, are subject to the vibrations and motions of the frame, and if they depend upon the cutting of a groove the walls of the groove will be broken down and will vary from point to point, or if they depend upon friction-grip there is a liability of slipping; but with a holder embodying' the principle of action of that herein the bracing or jacking action of the holder can be practically unlimited at the will of the operator, he hav ing it in his power at any time to increase or lessen the penetration or grip of this device.

What I claim is- 1. In a mining-machine, the combination, of the bed, the carriage, the laterally-acting cutters on the carriage, the holding device IOO IIO

rigidly connected with the carriage laterally and adapted to be moved toward and from the carriage, and means for moving the holder device at will into and out of engagement with the coal, substantially as set forth.

2. In a mining-machine, the combination, of the bed, the carriage, the laterally-acting cutters on the carriage, the holding device rigidly connected with the carriage laterally and adapted to be moved vertically toward and from the coal, and the holder-operating devices extending to points outside of the4 kerf, and adapted to be moved to throw the holder into and out of engagement with the coal, substantially as set forth.

3. In a mining-machine, the combination, of the bed, the carriage, the laterally-acting cutters on the carriage, the holding device adapted to be moved into the kerf as it is being formed by the cutters without engaging with the coal, and means for moving the holding device into engagement with the coal after said holder has been carried sufiiciently far into said kerf, substantially as set forth.

4:. In a mining-machine, the combination, of the bed, thelongitudinally-movable carriage, the laterally-acting cutters on the carriage, and a holding device supported by the carriage and adapted to engage with the coal and remain stationary in engagement with the coal while the carriage is advancing longitudinally, substantially as set forth.V

5. In a mining-machine, the combination, of the bed, the carriage, the laterally-acting cutters on the carriage, the holding device sliding back and forth longitudinally on the carriage, and means for causing the holding device at will to engage with the coal, substantially as set forth.

6. In a mining-machine, the combination, of the bed, the carriage, the laterally-acting cutters on the carriage, a feed mechanism, the holding device on the carriage independent of the feed mechanism and adapted to be moved toward and from the carriage, and means for moving the holder device at will into and out of engagement with the coal, substantially as the feed mechanism and adapted to be moved vertically toward and from the coal, and the holder-operating devices extending to points outside of the kerf, and adapted to be moved to throw the holder into and out of engagement with the coal, substantially as set forth.

cutters on the carriage, a feed mechanism for the carriage, and a holding device independent of the feed mechanism and supported by the carriage and adapted to engage with the coal and remain stationary while thecarriage is advancing, substantially as set forth.

10. In a mining-machine, the combination, of the bed, the carriage, the laterally-acting cutters on the carriage, a feed mechanism, the holding device independent ofthe feed mechanism sliding back and forth longitudinally on the carriage, and means for causing the holding device at will to engage with the coal, substantially as set forth.

11. In a mining-machine, the combination4 of a bed, a carriage, cutters on the said carriage, a holding device on the carriage and movable therewith in the kerf as it is being i formed by the cutters when in its disengaged position, mechanism for operating said holding device and means for operating the cutters, said carriages being forwardly movable independent of said holding device, and independent of said operating mechanism when'the holding device is in its engaged position, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in.

presence'of two witnesses.

HENRY B. DIERDGRFF.

Witnesses:

RYRos HUTcHINs, R. H. JEFFREY. 

